The Verano Fund
The Verano Fund is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in several states, including Massachusetts, New York, Iowa, Tennessee, and Florida.
The Verano Fund at a glance
In short: The Verano Fund gave $153K across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), top state Massachusetts. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $152,500
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,865
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,754,275
- -4.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (2 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (40% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Verano Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Hcm 75 Federal St 1100, Boston, MA 02110-1911
Phone: (617) 357-9110
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Verano Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Water for the South Sudan ($40K). Together the top 10 received $114K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 137 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts recipients received 40% of grant dollars, New York recipients 26%, Iowa recipients 10%, Tennessee recipients 6%, and Florida recipients 5%. The listed grants also include recipients in Minnesota and Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Verano Fund open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 26 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 92% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2020) to $153K (2025). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $153K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Water for the South Sudan Rochester, NY | 2025 GRANT | $40,000 |
| Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Woods Hole, MA | 2025 GRANT | $12,500 |
| Iowa Public Radio Des Moines, IA | 2025 GRANT | $10,000 |
| Wellesley Congregational Church Wellesley, MA | 2025 GRANT | $10,000 |
| St Judes Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | 2025 GRANT | $8,500 |
| Worcester County Horticultural Society Boylston, MA | 2025 GRANT | $8,000 |
| To Write Love on Her Arms Melbourne, FL | 2025 GRANT | $7,000 |
| Tubman Minneapolis, MN | 2025 GRANT | $7,000 |
| Trustees of Trinty College Class of 1940 Hartford, CT | 2025 GRANT | $5,500 |
| Belmont Day School Belmont, MA | 2025 GRANT | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Verano Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The fund’s filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,754,275 | $103,030 | $180,261 | $152,500 | 26 | $154,460 | $75,304 | $153,207 |
| 2024 | $1,831,539 | $67,332 | $167,274 | $140,000 | 25 | $141,900 | $40,093 | $145,973 |
| 2023 | $1,930,551 | $53,120 | $176,833 | $139,750 | 27 | $141,600 | $47,356 | $134,287 |
| 2022 | $2,045,985 | $612,266 | $169,355 | $140,500 | 29 | $142,300 | $586,286 | $130,604 |
| 2021 | $1,610,615 | $69,831 | $177,091 | $145,500 | 30 | $147,250 | $42,617 | $155,555 |
| 2020 | $1,708,521 | $94,268 | $156,015 | $132,500 | 31 | — | $74,008 | $131,992 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Verano Fund reported a distributable amount of $153K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations whose work, as described by the grantees, includes public radio and news, botanical garden experiences, crisis and support services, education, medically tailored meals and groceries, assistance to families facing homelessness, and protection of coastal ecosystems. For example, Iowa Public Radio says it connects people to news, music, information, and ideas; the Worcester County Horticultural Society says the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill creates experiences with plants; and Community Servings describes providing medically tailored meals and groceries to ill individuals and their families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 26 grants totaling $152,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $40,000, with a median of $3,000. Recent giving totaled $140,000 across 25 grants in 2024 and $139,750 across 27 grants in 2023.
The largest listed 2025 grants were $40,000 to Water for the South Sudan; $12,500 to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; $10,000 each to Iowa Public Radio and Wellesley Congregational Church; and $8,500 to St Judes Children's Research Hospital. Other listed grants included $8,000 to Worcester County Horticultural Society, $7,000 each to To Write Love on Her Arms and Tubman, and $5,000 to Belmont Day School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists A Dix Leeson Jr. and Charles E Clapp III as trustees.
The Verano Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
A. Dix Leeson Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles E. Clapp III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Verano Fund
How much does The Verano Fund give each year?
The Verano Fund gave $153K across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $140K across 25 grants.
What is The Verano Fund's typical grant size?
The Verano Fund's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $5,865, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Verano Fund that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Verano Fund give grants?
The Verano Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 40% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (26%) and Iowa (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Des Moines, IA (2 grants), Boston, MA (2 grants) and Cuttyhunk, MA (2 grants).
Does The Verano Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on The Verano Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "2025 Grant" (26 grants).
Who are The Verano Fund's largest grantees?
The Verano Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Water for the South Sudan ($40,000), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute ($12,500) and Iowa Public Radio ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Verano Fund?
The Verano Fund reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $154K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $153K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Verano Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Verano Fund?
The fund does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Verano Fund's EIN?
The Verano Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1689508. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Verano Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 3, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work The Verano Fund funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Verano Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Verano Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-verano-fund-morg_949184b090a04b5fb7d60ea7596cc2a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_311689508_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Verano Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-verano-fund-morg_949184b090a04b5fb7d60ea7596cc2a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Verano Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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